Scream OG Star Matthew Lillard Is Anxious He Could Spoil the Series with Scream 7.

The highly anticipated horror film Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters next year, and it is preparing for a massive gathering of familiar faces. This latest installment marks the legendary return of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the previous film. She will, per tradition, be joined by Courtney Cox as journalist Gail Weathers, but they aren't the only fan-favorite characters returning to the fray.

"Returning to a role you portrayed in your twenties when you're 55 was a challenge that gave me sleepless nights," the actor admits.

An Unexpected Return for Fallon Characters

Reports have confirmed that three different characters from past films are set to return in this new outing, despite dying in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their return is still unclear. Audiences should prepare for the return of the beloved and nearly unkillable officer Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 killer Roman Bridger, and a member of the original murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Iconic Status

For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the franchise for the first time since a brief appearance is a dream come true, though he is terrified about the audience response. The actor vividly recalls the precise instant he received the news from the original writer.

"I remember the conversation. I remember the pleasantries. I recall him asking. That instance is indelibly imprinted on my mind," he says. "Therefore I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

Stu Macher has attained cult status in the decades since the 1996 movie premiered, which made Lillard feeling quite nervous.

"Truthfully, that's a part that is infamous, like it or not," he notes. "A part that is now represented in every single Ghostface mask that walks around every Halloween."

The Anxiety of Letting Down the Fandom

Now that filming has concluded, Lillard is in the same position like the rest of us to see the final product. He confesses to feeling significant anxiety about not wanting to be the one who damages the beloved series.

"It's either a hit and people are excited to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard observes. "At the start, I have no idea if the movie's gonna work. I don't know if people want to see me. I've certainly seen plenty of people come out and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they going back to this trope?' So the reality is that I feel a lot of pressure to not mess up the franchise. I don't want people leaving Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"

Theories and Anticipation Abound

While many dedicated fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's return, the central mystery of how he and the others return persists. Perhaps they live rent-free in Sidney's consciousness, like a prior storyline. Or, maybe they are in some way still living in a bizarre communal scenario. The possibility of a self-referential narrative, reminiscent of earlier horror movies, also exists.

Audiences will discover the truth when Scream 7 debuts in theaters.